The first Chainsaw Man episode is out now, and it’s fair to say that it set the internet ablaze. Among the many discussions online, there’s a lot of talk about the Chainsaw Man anime opening and the meaning of the golden ball, as well as the various references contained within.
Following the episode’s release, fans flooded social media with lots of thoughts, screenshots, and memes. So much so that the hashtag #chainsawman trended online with over 500k tweets.
Among these tweets are fan theories about what the golden ball means in the opening as many fans believe it’s more than just one of the many movie references made.
Chainsaw Man Anime Opening: Movie References
While this is likely common knowledge already for fans of the series, creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is a noted movie fan, such that one of his one-shot manga is a love letter to movies.
Because of this, it should come as no surprise that the Chainsaw Man anime opening has lots of movie references, possibly indicating that these are some of Fujimoto’s favorite films.
Here’s a quick list of some movie references from the opening, along with a bonus manga reference:
Reservoir Dogs
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Pulp Fiction
No Country For Old Men
Sadako vs. Kayako
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Don’t Look Up (1996)
Jacob’s Ladder
Constantine
The Big Lebowski
Along with these, there’s also a big golden ball that seems to be a reference to another movie, but some fans also believe it to hint at the anime’s ending.
Chainsaw Man Golden Ball Explained
Near the final part of the opening, a golden ball can be seen that is hit by Power.
As spotted by some eagle-eyed fans, this seems to be a reference to Fight Club, a movie by David Fincher. Though that might not be all there is to this scene.
As mentioned by some fans, "golden ball" is translated as "kintama" in Japanese, a word that’s also used as a slang term for testicles.
Without going into spoilers, a gag involving testicles (though it’s not NSFW) will happen during the end of the Katana Man Arc, which is believed to be the final arc that the anime will cover given that there are only 12 episodes.
Chainsaw Man will continue with Episode 2 which will release next week.
Related: Chainsaw Man Opening Sequence Has Fans Celebrating Awesome Future Devil Moment
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